50th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

3:00pm EDT

Contributing to professional and academic fields at the level of thought

Friday August 7, 2026 3:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

This session provides an orientation to the activities and learning of the Association in seeking to pursue the mandate provided by the House of Justice in 2013:

Every believer has the opportunity to examine the forces operating in society and introduce relevant aspects of the teachings within the discourses prevalent in whatever social space he or she is present. It is, perhaps, as a means to enhance the abilities of the friends to explore such opportunities in relation to their scholarly interests that the endeavours of the Association for Bahá’í Studies can be conceived. Through the specialized settings it creates, the Association can promote learning among a wide range of believers across a wide range of disciplines.
(24 July 2013 – The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada)

Friday August 7, 2026 3:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
213

Workshop

9:00am EDT

The Power of Youth (Cast Aside the Clouds discussion)

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

213

Limited Capacity seats available

This talk examines the film, Cast Aside the Clouds as a compelling portrayal of youth as agents of change. The film highlights how young people can challenge inherited assumptions, seek truth independently, and overcome entrenched prejudices. Through its depiction of the Bahá’í community in Iran, it reveals the damaging impact of religious persecution—one of the most destructive barriers to building a just society. At the same time, it emphasizes resilience, moral courage, and unity in the face of injustice. Ultimately, the film calls on audiences to reject bias, think critically, and recognize the power of youth to contribute to a more just and compassionate world.

Speakers

Mary Darling

Clark Donnelly

Shahin Sobhani

Sutherland Darling-Donnelly

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
213

Media, Breakout

2:00pm EDT

Implications of a Broader Perspective on the Concept of Power for Educational Research: Analysis of Two Dissertations

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT

213

Limited Capacity seats available

In this presentation, two emerging scholars reflect on their efforts to learn how to explicate a wider conception of power and attempt to articulate its implications in their respective dissertation contexts: Indigenous teacher education in Argentina and alternative education high schools in the United States. Each author will reflect on how a more nuanced conception of power informed their research methods and how they shared their findings within their field. The presentation will conclude with all participants being invited to identify relevant concepts and their implications within a context with which they are familiar.

Speakers

Sam Settelmeyer

Sam got married, completed his PhD in Social Work, and moved to an international pioneering post over a four-month period in 2024. He is still consolidating from these experiences, and is seeking opportunities to apply his research, evaluation, and practice experience in alternative... Read More →

Zaynab Gates

Zaynab is an educational researcher focused on teacher learning and social development, with two decades of experience working in Latin America and with Indigenous communities. She has studied Intercultural Bilingual Education policy and practice in Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
213

Education, Breakout

3:30pm EDT

Diversity, Equity and Protagonism: Promoting a Discourse

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

213

Limited Capacity seats available

Equity work in American schools is in crisis. Undue reliance on institutional support has left the field at the mercy of partisan interests. Beyond a mere critique of top down DEI, the presentation offers a path forward by introducing the concept of protagonism alongside insights from the field of organizational development. Emphasis is placed on recasting the relationships among the three protagonists to foster individual initiative, consultation, and organizational learning. After considering how the presentation has been offered to different audiences, participants will suggest other communities of practice where promoting a discourse on protagonism can help advance thought and action.

Speakers

Niaz Khadem

Niaz Khadem serves as secretary for the Regional Baha’i Council of Appalachia. His research and action focus on promoting solidarity and protagonism among groups of families and individuals. He is interested in language education, capacity building, social action and transformative... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
213

Community, Breakout

3:00pm EDT

9:00am EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

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